David Jones

You need some special utensils and skills for candy making, as well as some special (and yummy) ingredients. After you learn how to temper chocolate (people eating chocolate are generally in a good temper, but that’s not the same thing), you can take off and start giving your candy as gifts — and you probably have some friends who’d be happy to help eat your mistakes, too!

Thermometers are extremely important in the candy-making process because slight variances in temperature can make the difference between a successful batch of candy and one that's inedible. Two essential thermometers to have when you make candy are a candy thermometer and a chocolate thermometer. If you visit a candy kitchen, you'll see a variety of types of thermometers — some quite expensive and elaborate.

A butter crunch (also known as a butter crisp) is a crunchy confection that you cook to at least 290 degrees F. This candy is similar to toffee (a crispy confection that contains a lot of butter and sugar), but it contains slightly less butter. If you decrease the butter content of a crunch even lower, you produce a butter crisp — but really, these names are purely a designation.

Nothing conjures up autumn like old-fashioned caramel apples. Homemade caramel apples make great budget party treats, and making them is an activity even the kids will enjoy. Once you have your caramel made, use this simple recipe to make an inexpensive treat to share throughout the fall holidays. Homemade Caramel Apples Tools: Six 5-1/4 inch-long skewers Preparation time: 1-1/2 hours plus at least 1 hour cooling time for caramel and 10 minutes for caramel to set on the apples Yield: 6 apples 6 Granny Smith apples (100-count size) 1 warm batch of melted caramels 2 cups each of at least 2 types of toppings, such as chopped pecan pieces, almond slices, fresh coconut, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips Wipe the apples with a clean, damp cloth and dry them.

Homemade chocolate caramels make inexpensive and easy-to-cook holiday gifts. Incorporating chocolate into this recipe adds a delightful chocolate flavor to an already delicious caramel. Homemade Chocolate Caramels Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour to cool Yield: 1-3/4 pounds or about 75 pieces 1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 ounce shortening Pinch of salt 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick paper.

Caramel is the basis for several different homemade gifts from your kitchen. For instance, you can make caramel dessert apples and caramel pecan clusters, or you can use it in any other recipes that call for a basic caramel. Homemade Caramels Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour to cool Yield: 1-1/2 pounds or about 75 pieces when cut 1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 ounce shortening Pinch of salt Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick paper.

Homemade pumpkin caramels may sound unusual, but they marry two flavors that signify the fall season. Give pumpkin caramels as gifts or offer a platter of these delicious treats at your Halloween or Thanksgiving gatherings. Homemade Pumpkin Caramels Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour to cool Yield: 2 pounds or about 85 pieces 1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 ounce shortening 7-1/2 ounces (1/2 of 15-ounce can) pure pumpkin 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon sage Pinch of salt Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick paper.

If you’re making candy, chocolate is pretty much a staple ingredient. It’s often the finishing coat for a collection of other sweet treats that you dip into it. The process for getting chocolate to the proper consistency for dipping is called tempering, and the following steps show you how to temper chocolate by hand: Place a block of chocolate on a cutting board and, using a heavy knife, shave it into small pieces.

Before you start getting ready to make candy, you need to check your cupboards for some essential ingredients. If you’re going to make candy regularly, put the basic ingredients from the following list on your candy-making shopping list so that you have everything you need when you’re in the candy-making mood: Sugars: granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar Sweeteners: corn syrup and honey Dairy products: unsalted butter, heavy cream, whipping cream, half and half, and whole milk Nuts: pecan halves, whole and sliced almonds, English walnuts, raw and roasted Spanish peanuts, cashews, and macadamias Chocolates: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa If you have the storage space, you can keep a few specialty items around as well: invertase, powdered egg whites (called “egg albumen”), flavorings, and food colorings.